Vertex Skimmer club

My 180 just arrived arrived, Box and styro packing was Banged up badly!
Other than pump stand in 2 peices, after a quick check, I see no other damage.

I am last stop for delivery On the UPS ride.. I am sure a large box gets moved around but its is sad!
 
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I have a 120 with about 100 gallons in the sump (150 rubbermaid) plus 10 gallons or so in the contraption I setup to hold 7" of water for the vertex ;)

anyway, I have 2 tangs, 2 clowns, a mandarin, a watchman gobie and an orchid dottyback in there.

I expect to be pulling enormous amounts of nog for a week or 2 atleast

Cheers!

for the price, I defy anyone to point me to a skimmer that out performs these vertex!

I will photo my nog for the next week...or until I get bored of it. But the insanity of how much is coming out blows me away.
 
Just to point out, that is clear plastic...I realize the skimmer appears to be built from white non-translucent plastic...but those are bubbles!


The thing is solid with micro-bubbles in there...

The toughest thing about setting up this IN250 has been trying to determine where the water ends and the bubbles begin!

LOL
 
My 180 just arrived arrived, Box and styro packing was Banged up badly!
Other than pump stand in 2 peices, after a quick check, I see no other damage.

I am last stop for delivery On the UPS ride.. I am sure a large box gets moved around but its is sad!
The pump bracket in 2 pieces isn't the fault of ups, Vertex just doesn't glue them together very well :rolleye1:
Mine did the same the first time I assembled it. A little squirt of weld-on fixed it, or you could use some krazy glue.
 
My IN-180 has been making a loud rattling noise when I have the air valve hooked up to the standpipe. If I disconnect it (so it get full air) it is silent. Why would this make the impeller spin off balance? Also, to get the skimmer started I have to place my hand in front of the pump intake. Any suggestions?
 
Ricky-

So this is gen2? Contact whoever you got it from. You shouldn't have to put your hand in front of the venturi to start it up. How long have you had it?
 
While I am waiting on weldon 16 to dry, I dry fit everything together. I noticed the airline a little lacking and is silencer fitting correct? ( I guess it can be turned to side)

I have read thru whole tread, but may have missed any suggestions pertaining to this.

I found and old ASM hose it is bigger ID and heavier duty.. ( it fits ventri well)
 
I just recently purchased a IN 180. I assembled it, and then placed it in a tote for a vinegar+water run. I set it to full open and plugged it in. It immediately foamed up and ran normally. After an hour or two, I set the adjuster to closed and let it run vin+water up the chamber and overflow for a little while. Now when I return the adjuster to open, the bubbles won't raise up all the way. They reach to where the cylinder meets the curved neck. I rinsed the unit with RODI and let it dry overnight. This morning, I threw it in my sump and it still only reaches the same level.

Is this normal? Is there something I should focus on to rectify this? I was impressed with the bubbles/foam when I first plugged it in. Now it seems like something is wrong.

I redid all the piping, and checked the pinwheel. Detached the air hose from both ends to ensure no clogs. I'm lost.
 
Wil do. Just want to be sure nothing is wrong, so I can deal with any return/exchange headaches.

I was just shocked to see such a dramatic change between first plugging it in and now. Right off the bat, with the collection cup off, it was foaming out of the top as soon as I plugged it in. Now it can't even reach the top. Right now, with the adjustment set at full open, the water level inside the skimmer is about 3 inches higher than the water line in the sump, which is about 7.5 inches.

I'm in Culpeper. Since I'm in DC more than the Richmond area, I belong to WAMAS. I'll have to browse the Richmond club forum to check things out.
 
wdytat,
try sticking your finger over the air intake inlet and allowing the pump to pump water to fill the skimmer first, then remove your finger and dial the water level down.

Just a thought...

Cheers
 
wdytat, I just put my in sump for first time, so we are starting at same time :) Its doing same thing. the pump is very quiet!
32scfh=Very good :D

I have some skimate in old skimmer so I plan to add a little. ( I don't do vinegar baths )
 
That certainly makes the water level rise and can overflow the skimmer. Not sure that I should have to do such a trick though.

Playing around some more - and forgive my ignorance as this my first "real" skimmer. I see that vinegar contributes to the foam and bubbling of the unit, so that may be the culprit at play here.

When in saltwater and fully open, where does everyone's bubbles/foam reach in the 180. Right before the curved section of the main housing? Where does your water line reach? A few inches above the sump water line?

If I turn the adjustment near closed the bubbles and water line creep up as expected. Same with covering the air line.

Just want to make sure the unit is "idling" correctly.

In any event, I appreciate the input!
 
wdytat, I just put my in sump for first time. Its doing same thing. the pump is very quiet!
I have some skimate in old skimmer so I plan to add a little. ( I don't do vinegar baths :) )

Ahh. Good to know. :-)

Mine is certainly quiet. No complaints there. Just don't know enough about what to expect and look for with these skimmers. Learning as I go.
 
wdytat, seachem reefplus (amino acids and trace elements) is the ticket for fast break-in. I forgot about it, untill 15mins ago.. It really helps, if you have a store close by, get some! :thumbsup:

26w 32 scfh!
 
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Not bad for 4hrs :D
30W and still 32 scfh

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